Presidents annually give a State of the Union address, and effective leaders regularly share their view of the past and vision of the future. Perhaps similarly, my step into retirement has prompted reflection on the state of church volunteerism –Read more…
Church Volunteerism in a Changed World
Twenty-one months after the covid pandemic first threw us for a loop, we’re still in upheaval. Vaccines are prevalent, but many still suffer and many more are fearful. When it comes to church volunteerism, ‘normal’ is a distant memory andRead more…
Were We Ready? Covid’s Impact on Church Volunteerism
Were we ready? Of course not. We had no time. In early January 2020, most of us hadn’t heard of covid. Less than 3 months later, it had disrupted our lives and our churches. But we adapted. By Easter, mostRead more…
Tool: A Look at My Serving
What would my life look like if I saw everything I do as serving Jesus? What if I could serve more intentionally, joyfully, impactfully and faith-fully? What if my church family were to do this? What if Jesus’ followers throughoutRead more…
The Covid Pivot
Covid has brought change — tragic changes in health and employment, and inconvenient change, like mask-wearing and limits on eating out. At church we’ve dealt with change in how we worship, share communion, celebrate marriages and bury loved ones. FewRead more…
A Dream Volunteer Job, and Why It Doesn’t Work
“Two retired English teachers . . . have solved the mystery of why volunteers like them are rarely invited to help . . .” This column from the Washington Post speaks volumes about a major roadblock for volunteers. It’s asRead more…
Add a Little More Joy to Your Serving
If we’re driving, we need to know how much gas is in the tank. When we’re serving, it can be equally helpful to look at how much joy is in our tank! Let’s do a self-check. Do you look forwardRead more…
Good stuff: Our Response to Declining Commitments
“People don’t commit like they used to.” “We need to teach these younger people to make a commitment.” “Why aren’t more people stepping up to help?” I hear these comments often. Short term volunteering is very popular, but it’s gettingRead more…
A Question: What Will a Volunteer Coordinator Do For Me?
The budget of our church’s volunteer program got a substantial bump this year. Thankfully, we are now able to hire a full-time coordinator. What are the most important parts of a volunteer program that we should shift to her, theRead more…
Good Stuff: God’s bookkeeping = All Grace!
Do you set goals? Do you track your progress in reaching them? About 5 years ago, our senior pastor began working with staff who report to him create annual goals and regularly review progress on those goals. It’s been aRead more…
Good Stuff: Reasons a Team Lacks Joy
Enjoy your volunteering? In “Five Reasons a Team Lacks Joy,” Eric Geiger notes that each reason for lack of joy can be counteracted by the leader. Perhaps we leaders should be looking for, and measuring, signs of joy in ourRead more…
Reporting and Accountability for Volunteers
Holding Volunteers Accountable We in the church, in general, don’t have our volunteers do nearly as much reporting as do other nonprofits in general. But this article, Accountability and Reporting, is still useful for ideas on easy ways to getRead more…
Good stuff: Settling for less?
Are You Settling for Less? Do those of us who are employed by, or volunteering for, churches settle for less when it comes to our own needs? When we, or our ministry we lead, has a need, and there’s aRead more…
Want Volunteers? Consider Your In’s and Out’s
An intriguing way to grow volunteerism at church involves looking at the “in’s” and “out’s” — people volunteering inside, and outside, your church’s walls. What’s the ratio of inside/outside volunteering at your church? List all your volunteer opportunities, noting whichRead more…
Worth noting: The 24/7 Work Culture’s Toll
A New York Times article, “The 24/7 Work Culture’s Toll on Families and Gender Equality,” paints a sobering picture of the lives many of our church volunteers lead outside of church. Some excerpts and my thoughts. “The pressure of aRead more…
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